Blogs and Commentary

NCAA Division III Notebook

Coaching Plattsburgh is not really a job for Ryan Cavanagh. It's
more of a quest. He didn't accept his current position because he
loves lacrosse. He did it because he loves Plattsburgh
lacrosse.

Cavanagh, a 2007 graduate of Plattsburgh, which is located on
the shores of Lake Champlain a short drive from the Canadian
border, has been consumed with getting the Cardinals into the
national discussion. During his final year as a player, he helped
Plattsburgh set the program record for wins at the time (9) and, as
an assistant coach for three years, Cavanagh helped boost that mark
to 11 wins in 2010. The Cardinals also reached the SUNYAC
tournament for the first time ever in 2009.

Last year, in his first season as head coach, Cavanagh helped
the Cardinals tie the program wins record mark with an 11-7 mark,
which has set up this season.

"We're picking up we left off last year," Cavanagh said. "We had
one of our most successful years in program history. With not
losing much, we knew that we'd come back with a pretty strong team
and luckily we got some transfers in and got some good freshmen who
are going to help build this program. The guys have been building
since they were freshmen, and it's something that I've been
building since I was an assistant coach. Pieces are finally falling
together. We're excited about this year and excited about the
future of Plattsburgh, as well."

So far, the Cardinals have obliterated the school wins record
with a 13-3 mark at the end of the regular season, and they have
earned the second seed in the SUNYAC tournament for the first time
ever. After less than two full seasons, Cavanaugh is two wins away
from having the second most victories in school history.

While the season opening victory over RPI was decent at the
time, Plattsburgh put itself on the Division III radar when the
Cardinals traveled to Homewood Field on the campus of Johns Hopkins
and knocked off Conn. College, an NCAA team from last year,
7-5.

"At the end of the game, we knew who we were and we knew who we
could be this year," Cavanagh said. "Plattsburgh lacrosse has
arrived. Conn. College beat Tufts and [Tufts is] probably one of
the best teams in the country when they are on. It just showed what
we're able to do when we're playing our best lacrosse."

While it didn't produce a win, Plattsburgh's 15-12 loss to
Cortland in late March was also a watershed moment for the
Cardinals.

"Being here as a player and now as a head coach, I've been in
those Cortland games when it is 21-4 or one of those types of
scores," Cavanagh said. "When we went down 5-1, we went, 'Uh, oh.
It's going to be one of those games.' But the guys dug themselves
out of the hole and battled back. I was real proud of them because
they didn't give up. They played to the last second of the clock.
They played with a ton of heart and a chip on their shoulder that
we have something prove."

Saturday's dispatching of Geneseo, 14-5, was a another big
proving point for Plattsburgh. The Knights beat the Cardinals at
the end of last year's regular season and then bounced Platts from
the SUNYAC tourney a couple of days later. Ending Geneseo's season
this spring was certainly satisfying. But it's just part of the
journey.

When Cavanagh took over the program, it wasn't about individual
games. It was about raising the entire profile of the program, and
putting Plattsburgh into the Division III consciousness.

"When I was interviewing here, I told them that they might find
somebody who knows a little bit more about the Xs and Os, but you
won't find anyone who works harder or cares more about this program
than I do," Cavanagh said.

- Let's take a look at Pool B, shall we? In the past, choosing
this part of the bracket, which never consisted of more than three
bids, was relatively simple. Plug in Denison and Ohio Wesleyan, and
then see how the third best team in the NCAC stacked up against the
rest of the field of independents. This year is more complicated.
Obviously the NCAC's transition to the real world is a driving
factor, but the increase in the number of bids to five means there
are some relatively fringe characters that are still in play.

Making things more difficult is, unlike Pool C, where the
committee tips its hand with the weekly regional rankings, the Pool
B teams are so far off the grid that we receive no guidance as to
where the committee has them. Like Pool C candidates, however, Pool
B candidates have to navigate their way through the Scylla and
Charybdis of pretty records and strong scheduling. Here's what I've
got so far, in order:

- It's the most exciting time of year in lacrosse, but the good
vibes are always tempered when a lacrosse player dies. Catholic
junior Brian Englert died on Thursday after
succumbing to injuries suffered in a car incident on Monday
morning. It's a fun time of year with spring arriving and the
school year wrapping up, but please make smart decisions when
you're having a good time. It breaks my heart having to write about
20-year-olds passing away and I don't want to do it anymore.

- If you want to get an idea of where we are with the conference
tourneys, check out my conference tournament clearinghouse for Division
III...Kenneth Bogert scored six goals, lifting
Montclair State to its fifth-straight Skyline Conference
championships, 16-7, over Kean. Bogert was named tourney MVP for
his efforts...St. Lawrence made RIT play at their pace, but the
Tigers ended up trimming the Saints, 9-8, to take the top spot in
the four-team Liberty playoffs. RIT will open with Union while SLU
will take on Clarkson...Adrian took down Albion to grab the top
seed in the first-ever MIAA tournament. Since it has come into
existence, Adrian has yet to lose a conference (Midwest and MIAA)
contest...Babson lost to Springfield in its regular season finale,
but senior attackman Alex Patinkin broke the Beavers' school record
for career points (234).

- Utica earned its first trip to the Empire 8 tournament with a
10-9 double overtime victory over St. John Fisher. Ben Winkler
scored the game-winner as the Pioneers also set the mark for most
wins in a season (9)...DeSales senior Brennan Gmeiner set a new
school single-game record with 21 ground balls while winning
33-of-36 faceoffs against Manhattanville...Washington &
Jefferson senior Joseph Eck became the Presidents' all-time leading
goal scorer (124) after scoring three in a 15-8 loss to Drew...Nick
Hermes set the Hanover program goals record (34) after notching
three in a loss to Benedictine...in his first start of the season,
Jesse Rabishaw scored six goals and dished out three assists for
Salisbury...Norwich will make its first NCAA tournament appearance
after defeating Mount Ida in the GNAC title game...UNE's win over
Salve Regina in the first round of the Commonwealth Coast tourney
was the Nor'Easters' first postseason victory since they joined the
conference in 2000.

- Conn. College's John Lyons collected his 100th career point in
the Camels' 8-6 win over Hamilton in the NESCAC
quarterfinals...Henry Bristol made 27 for UMass-Boston in a midweek
victory over Southern Maine...congrats to former Haverford standout
goalie Joe Banno for getting the chance to dress for the MLL's
Rochester Rattlers this week. D-III guys in the pros is nothing new
– there are a bunch – but congrats to a solid
small-school rep getting his chance...the NESCAC rookie of the year
balloting should be interesting. You've got Middlebury's Jon
Broome, coming off a conference-record eight goals against Amherst
in the quarterfinals, and Conn. College's Bobby Bleistein, who has
posted a 67.3 save percentage this spring for the 12-3 Camels. If I
know the NESCAC – and I think I do – we'll see
co-rookie of the year platitudes.